RAMS DROP 3-2 CONTEST TO TOWSON ON SATURDAY AT THE DIAMOND

Mar 10, 2012

RICHMOND, Va. – The VCU Baseball team suffered a one-run loss to visiting Towson, in game two of a three game series against the Tigers, on Saturday at The Diamond.

Down 2-1 late, the visiting Tigers pushed across two runs in the top of the ninth off VCU junior pitcher Blake Hauser, to hand Hauser his first loss of the 2012 campaign. Towson improves to 6-6 overall and 1-1 in CAA play, while VCU drops to 9-6 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

"We let them stay game and it came back to bite us in the end," said VCU head coach Paul Keyes. "We had our chances with getting runners in scoring position, but were unable to come away with those hits to the outfield to score the runners and gives us that cushion we needed. Today's game remained tight throughout as a result and Towson did a better job of executing in the end."

The Rams started off the game with a run in the bottom of the first inning, with sophomore outfielder Bill Cullen driving a double down the left field line to start things off. The Colonial Heights, Va., native came around to score on a single through the left side by junior infielder Jordan Weymouth.

The Rams got themselves out of a bases loaded jam with no outs in the top of the fourth inning, behind some slick defensive play. VCU pitcher Ryan Farrar forced the batter into hitting a fly ball to left field, which allowed the runner to score from third. Senior outfielder Paul Nice made the catch and threw the ball towards home, which sophomore infielder Joey Cujas cut off and fired over in time to nail the runner sliding into third. Freshman Vimael Machin applied the tag at third, before throwing out the advancing runner at second for a triple play.

Cullen got things going again for the Rams in the bottom of the sixth, hitting a single through the right side of the infield. Weymouth laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Cullen to second, before Cullen advanced to third on a wild pitch. Cujas roped a single through the left side to score Cullen.

The Tigers came back to win the game in the top of the ninth, starting the inning off with a pair of walks off Hauser. After a sacrifice bunt put the two runners on second and third with one out, Brandon Gonella lined a single through the left side to score both runner and hand Towson the 3-2 advantage.

Towson and VCU will close out the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. at The Diamond; the winner of the game will take the season series.